Ayeyawady Region Prepares to Fight Against Natural Disasters

Accompanied by responsible officials, Dr Win Myat Aye, Union Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement visited Thabaung yesterday morning to meet with members of natural disaster management committee at the township level, departmental personnel at the meeting hall of township administrative department, giving necessary advices over the clarification on the tasks of preparation for natural disasters in the township and necessities to be made in advance, by U Aung Soe Oo, township administrator of the department.
Dr Win Myat Aye, Union Minister addressed, “Under the leadership of National Natural Disaster Management Committee, 12 working committees consisting of related ministries and natural disaster management committees at regions, states, districts and township levels had been found to have been working in combining with each other, more than ever. Due to preparatory tasks of making irrigation channels, ditches, embankments, building multi-purpose shelters for disasters, digging up sand-silted creeks and rehearsing for preparedness, this year impacts of natural disasters were found to have alleviated more than previous years. Rescue works were carried out promptly as soon as floods had broken out, through the co-operative efforts of natural disaster management committees at different levels under the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement. The Ministry is making its concerted efforts, as is the Government fulfilling the needs of the people, attentively.”
Afterwards, the Union Minister and party arrived at the Mingalar Yarma monastery in Nwataung village of Talokekone village tract by motor boat to meet flood victims, giving words of encouragement. The Union Minister said, “All need to take care of outbreaks of epidemic when natural disasters break out, taking notices of seasonal flu (H1N1).
As regards it, we must have knowledge on the disease. It symptoms are illness, coughs and sneezes. If one is infected with these, the patient needs to don masks so as for the disease not to spread to others. But personal hygiene, especially washing hands with soaps frequently is the most effective ways of prevention. Regarding the affairs of the disabled as well, the Ministry is making arrangements for providing them on the nationwide scale. Now, we will provide subsidies to the disabled at the temporary flood victims’ camp.”
Then, the Union Minister provided K 837,900 for one-week ration of rice to 399 flood victims, K 150,000 for 5 disabled persons as subvention, K 47,600 to purchase oil for the acquisition of electricity, 142.5 viss of chick peas for victims, 400 pieces of masks, 200 cakes of soap, toys and nutritious foods, negotiating to build multi-purpose disaster shelter.
In the evening the Union Minister and party visited the flood victims at the Maha Thiri Mingalar Yarma monastery in the town of Kangyidaung , giving words of encouragement and giving subsidies for 776 flood victims—K 1,629,600 for rice, 3 fiber motor boats, K 6.9 million for 30 life jackets, 400 pieces of masks, 200 cakes of soap and K 50,000 to a mother for nutrition.
In the evening of July 29, Dr Win Myat Aye, the Union Minister arrived at the social welfare department’s child nurturing center, Pathein, accompanied by responsible officials, inspecting the systematic treatment over children, addressing to take care of seasonal flu (H1N1), illness, coughs and sneezes, to don masks, use soaps for personal hygiene. Then the Ministers gave toys and nutritious snacks to children. Myanmar News Agency